Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff from Coursera

Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with a medical device installation where issues related to IP addresses, networking, and MAC addresses come up.

When there are disruptions in technology, you’ll need to use training, tip sheets, and problem-solving skills to determine how best to handle the situation. Supporting a high reliability organization means being familiar with the existing processes and protocols for handling calls, creating tickets, escalating issues, and resolving matters. We’ll introduce you to the concept of self-service tickets and the guidance given to hospital staff on how to submit a ticket. You’ll learn about the different priority levels for tickets as well as the tiers of IT support. When a call comes in, there are some important resources you’ll need to access in order to troubleshoot the problem. These can range from standard question templates to tip sheets to complex matrices and knowledge base articles (KBAs). Having these tools in your arsenal is essential as a Health IT support specialist. We‘ll also cover the JIRA process, the need for excellent documentation, and ways in which requests for change are communicated.

What's inside

Syllabus

Telemedicine, Patient Portals, and Medical Devices

In this module you will learn about telemedicine and patient portals. These are 2 important technologies in healthcare that are playing a bigger role in the patient and provider experience. You’ll learn about different types of telemedicine delivery such as asynchronous, synchronous, and remote patient monitoring. You’ll hear from the Director of Telemedicine about what it was like introducing virtual visits in a rapid fashion during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As an IT support staff member, you’re not just tasked with providing support to physicians, nurses and other allied health professionals. You’ll also be called on to support patients or their caregivers when they run into challenges with telemedicine visits or patient portals. During this module, you’ll watch a scenario where an IT Help desk agent helps a concerned parent who is trying to access some billing information regarding his son. Pay attention to the calm way in which the agent helps him complete the proxy and guarantor information that is needed in order to gain the proper access. We’ll also take you behind-the-scenes during a medical device installation. Watch as a system field engineer installs a new piece of radiology equipment. Through this real- world scenario, you’ll be introduced to concepts of IP addresses, MAC addresses, and networking issues (LAN, WLAN).

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Designed for healthcare IT support specialists, this course teaches essential skills for troubleshooting technology issues in healthcare settings

Instructors Ashwini S. Davison, M.D., Sylvia Devlin, (R) (M) (QM), CIIP are experts in healthcare IT with extensive experience in the field

Introduces key technologies in healthcare, including telemedicine, patient portals, medical devices, and barcode scanners

Covers operational needs such as self-service tickets, priority levels, tiered support, and various help desk resources

Emphasizes the role of clear documentation and teamwork in resolving health IT issues

Provides insights into patient safety and the importance of checklists, medication errors, and sentinel events

Reviews summary

Healthcare it operations & patient safety

According to learners, this course provides an excellent foundational understanding for anyone aspiring to or currently working in healthcare IT. Students particularly valued the practical real-world scenarios and help desk interactions, finding them incredibly insightful and applicable to their roles. The course effectively covers important operational aspects like JIRA processes and critical documentation, alongside a strong emphasis on patient safety in IT. While many found it a comprehensive guide for IT staff, some with prior IT experience suggested that certain modules felt introductory and wished for deeper technical troubleshooting details.

Effective coverage of essential IT operational tools and concepts.

"I particularly found the sections on JIRA processes and documentation highly applicable."

"The course reinforces the critical link between IT and patient safety, which is often overlooked."

"The concepts of self-service tickets and tiered support were explained adequately and proved useful."

Focuses on practical scenarios highly relevant to job roles.

"As an aspiring Health IT specialist, this course provided an excellent foundational understanding. The real-world scenarios, especially the help desk interactions, were incredibly insightful and practical."

"Truly a comprehensive guide for IT staff in healthcare. The insights into high reliability organizations and managing downtimes were invaluable."

"I liked the focus on real-world IT scenarios within a hospital setting. The segment on barcode scanning issues was surprisingly detailed and useful."

Occasional issues with video quality and pacing in older modules.

"I felt some of the video quality was inconsistent, and a few modules felt a bit slow-paced."

"The content was well-structured, but I wish there were more interactive exercises or labs to solidify the technical aspects."

Course depth is ideal for beginners, less so for experienced IT.

"Some parts felt a bit introductory for someone with prior IT experience, but overall, it's a solid overview."

"It serves as a good overview but doesn't go deep enough into technical troubleshooting for an IT professional."

"While the topic is important, I found the course lacked the depth I was hoping for in areas like networking and advanced troubleshooting."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff with these activities:

Review medical prefixes, suffixes, and root words

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By refreshing your foundational knowledge of medical terminology, you can better understand the technical terms and concepts covered in this course.

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Compile a list of common prefixes and suffixes.
Review their definitions.
Practice combining prefixes, roots, and suffixes to create medical terms.

Review Networking Fundamentals

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Solidify your understanding of networking fundamentals, including IP addresses, MAC addresses, and network troubleshooting techniques.

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Review course materials on networking concepts
Set up a lab environment to practice configuring and troubleshooting basic network devices

Complete Hospital Computer Systems tutorials

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Gain practical experience by working through interactive exercises and tutorials on concepts you will encounter in this course.

Browse courses on Medical Technology

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Locate and sign up for online tutorials.
Complete each tutorial thoroughly.

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Explore Telemedicine Platforms

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Expand your understanding of telemedicine by exploring popular platforms and their functionalities.

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Research different telemedicine platforms
Create an account and navigate the features of a chosen platform

Practice troubleshooting scenarios on a simulated system

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Reinforce your problem-solving abilities and improve your confidence by practicing on a simulated healthcare system.

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Access a simulated healthcare system.
Review the scenario and identify the issue.
Troubleshoot the issue and resolve it.

Career center

Learners who complete Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Healthcare IT Specialist

The Healthcare IT Specialist is an integral member of healthcare teams, responsible for managing and maintaining healthcare IT systems. This course provides a strong foundation in the core concepts of healthcare IT, including: telemedicine, patient portals, medical devices, operational needs, JIRA processes, and documentation. By understanding these concepts, Healthcare IT Specialists can ensure that healthcare IT systems are operating efficiently and effectively, supporting the delivery of high-quality patient care.

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Medical Device Technician

Medical Device Technicians are responsible for installing, maintaining, and repairing medical devices. They need a strong understanding of telemedicine and patient portals, as well as medical devices.

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Help Desk Analyst

Help Desk Analysts provide technical support to users of healthcare IT systems. This course will provide Help Desk Analysts with the knowledge and skills needed to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to telemedicine, patient portals, medical devices, and other healthcare IT systems.

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System Analyst

System Analysts design, develop, and implement healthcare IT systems. This course will provide System Analysts with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to develop and implement solutions that meet those needs.

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Project Manager

Project Managers are responsible for planning, executing, and closing healthcare IT projects. This course will provide Project Managers with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to manage projects that deliver successful outcomes.

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Network Administrator

Network Administrators are responsible for managing and maintaining the networks that connect healthcare IT systems. This course will provide Network Administrators with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to manage networks that support the delivery of high-quality patient care.

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Data Analyst

Data Analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to improve the performance of healthcare IT systems. This course will provide Data Analysts with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to use data to identify and solve problems.

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Clinical Informatics Specialist

Clinical Informatics Specialists work with clinicians to improve the use of healthcare IT systems. This course will provide Clinical Informatics Specialists with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to develop and implement solutions that improve patient care.

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Quality Assurance Analyst

Quality Assurance Analysts ensure that healthcare IT systems meet the highest standards of quality. This course will provide Quality Assurance Analysts with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to develop and implement quality assurance processes.

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Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts protect healthcare IT systems from security threats. This course will provide Information Security Analysts with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to develop and implement security measures that protect patient data.

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Software Developer

Software Developers design, develop, and implement healthcare IT systems. This course will provide Software Developers with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to develop software that meets those needs.

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Database Administrator

Database Administrators manage and maintain the databases that store healthcare data. This course will provide Database Administrators with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to manage databases that support the delivery of high-quality patient care.

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Hardware Engineer

Hardware Engineers design, develop, and implement the hardware that supports healthcare IT systems. This course will provide Hardware Engineers with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to design and develop hardware that meets those needs.

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Technical Writer

Technical Writers create documentation for healthcare IT systems. This course will provide Technical Writers with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to create documentation that is clear, concise, and accurate.

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IT Auditor

IT Auditors assess the security and compliance of healthcare IT systems. This course will provide IT Auditors with the knowledge and skills needed to understand the operational needs of healthcare IT systems and to conduct audits that ensure that systems are operating in a secure and compliant manner.

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